Reset
by HannahBerrie
Summary: "If she crosses that finish line, the game will reset, and she won't be a glitch anymore!" A different look on what could have happened at the end of Wreck-It Ralph


Have some writer's block with MH, wrote this to get the juices flowing again.

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Ralph and Vanellope stood side-by-side on the racetrack, looking down on Vanellope's newly fixed (for the second time) kart. Vanellope's hazel eyes were wide with nervousness and excitement. She was twisting the drawstring of her sweatshirt absentmindedly between her fingers as her eyes flitted over to watch Felix fix the rubbled remains of the racetrack. Both of them were still a little dazed from the trauma that had just occurred, but it was all over now, and all that was left was a few bits of chocolate from the pool they had landed in. However, Vanellope still seemed a little...off.

"You okay, kid?" Ralph asked.

Vanellope nodded, trying to stand up straighter. "It's just-I can't believe this is finally happening, you know?" She said, turning to beam up at him. "I'm finally going to cross that finish line! I'm going to be a real racer! I mean, I've waited _so long, _and now it's finally happening! I just can't believe it!"

"Well, if you vurp, make sure it doesn't get on me." Ralph chuckled.

Vanellope giggled. Felix was getting down to the last few bits of the racetrack, and nervousness quickly filled her features again. Ralph could practically hear her heart pounding. "Ralph?" She whispered, suddenly solemn again.

"Yeah?" Ralph looked at her, and was surprised to see that Vanellope looked...sad almost.

Vanellope bit her lip and shifted on the spot before she spoke."What...I...I don't know what's going to happen to me, when I cross the finish line." Vanellope said, her voice rising slightly. "What if I change? What if I'll look all different all the sudden? Like, what if I look exactly like Taffyta or something? What if I become a Taffyta recolor? That would be horrible! I don't want to be a different person!"

"Vanellope!" Ralph exclaimed. He looked down at her, his eyes wide in alarm. He had never seen her so fretful or anxious before. True, he had only known her for less than 24 hours, but he thought that by now he knew her fairly well. Besides, they were best friends, and had kind of saved each others lives, in more ways than one. "You're going to be fine! You can do this! And no matter what happens when you cross that finish line, you can always be sure that you've got me around, alright? I'll always be there for you, not matter what, even if you do look like Taffyta."

Vanellope grinned at him. "Thanks, stinkbrain."

"Anytime fartfeathers." Ralph grinned back. He watched as Vanellope took a deep breath. Ralph reached out and took her tiny hand in his. Vanellope gripped it back tightly, squeezing her eyes shut. A few moments passed with them standing there, holding each others hands for support, preparing each other for what was about to happen.

Vanellope opened her eyes, now full of determination. "Okay." She said. "Let's do this."

"After you m'lady." Ralph said, bowing her over to her kart.

"Thank you sir." Vanellope said in her best British accent, a smile on her face. Ralph helped her get into her kart, still holding her hand until the last moment.

"Now remember, don't press down too hard on the "go" pedal." Ralph instructed, standing behind the kart. "You wouldn't want to go speeding off and wind up a mile away."

"Ralph?" Vanellope asked, turning to look at him over her shoulder. "Could you push me? I want to do this...together."

Ralph's eyes widened as he felt...happiness surging through him. Real, pure, happiness. No one had ever _wanted _to be around him before, to do things _together _with him. Except now, except for Vanellope. It was surreal. "Uh, yeah, sure." Ralph shrugged, trying not to show too much how excited he was.

Vanellope beamed and turned back around, taking hold her steering wheel.

"All fixed!" Felix called out, stepping back. He went to go stand over by Sergeant Calhoun, smiling up at her.

The racetrack lay there before them, its white and red sugar cube crystals glittering up at them. The sky was still a murky green, the cotton candy clouds stained blood red, and there were still some corpses of the dead cy-bugs Sergeant Calhoun had shot lying around, and yet, everything was perfect. Ralph had saved Vanellope, Turbo was gone, and he'd finally found what he'd been looking for for so long; a friend. Someone who actually cared about him.

"You ready for this?" He asked, leaning down to look at Vanellope.

She grinned. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Ralph smiled. He stood up straight again and held onto the sides of the kart. A determined looked set on each of their faces. Vanellope's kart, in all honestly, wasn't that heavy (at least to him). It only took a little push from Ralph, and Vanellope was passing over the finish line, for the first, and definitely not the last, time.

The moment she did however, something began to change. The track began to glow and light up , and a trail of sparkles followed her back wheels as her kart finished crossing. The track was going nuts. Little pixels emerged, and Ralph watched in astonishment as an invisible force lifted Vanellope into the air. More sparkles burst up from underneath her, crisscrossing and twirling in vibrant patterns. Vanellope began to spin. Her legs swayed back and forth, and her eyes widened in shock, and maybe even a little fear, as the lights swelled, billowing up around her so it was almost impossible to see her at all. "Hey, what's with all the magic sparkles?" She exclaimed, now completely surrounded by them.

"Vanellope!" Ralph exclaimed, he reached out his arm and tried to run over to her, but a sudden ripple of the ground stopped him. Pixels and code flew out from underneath him, spreading across Sugar Rush.

The game was resetting; everything was changing.

The dead cy-bugs disappeared, the clouds parted, and the sky turned blue again. The smell of sweet sugar filled the air, and the game was instantly pumped with it's confectionery colors. Ralph stood up, not expecting what he was to see next. Vanellope had transformed. She wasn't a Taffyta recolor (thank goodness), but she looked so...different. Her hair was tied up in a regal-looking bun, and the mismatched candies that had previously littered her hair were now replaced with sensible-looking red and pink ones. She was now wearing a dress, and a big one at that, with a huge collar. A lollipop scepter was in her hand, and a confused look on her face. She looked like...a princess. Vanellope turned to look at him. "Ralph?" She exclaimed, looking worried. "I don't get it! What's-"

Suddenly, she let out a gasp. She clutched her head and bent over, wheezing slightly.

"Vanellope!" This time there was nothing to stop Ralph from running over to her.

Vanellope was crying out in pain, still holding her head and squeezing her eyes shut. In an instant, blue code was covering her body, starting from her head and working it's way down. It spread all across her, twisting and converting. Ralph tried to grab her, to hold onto her and tell her everything was okay, that this was just part of the reset, it had to be, but she just slipped through his fingers, completely taken over by the new code.

Vanellope was still crying out, tears streaming down her face now, calling Ralph's name as the code flickered. It was blinking brighter and brighter, faster and faster.

And just like that, it stopped. Vanellope collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Ralph looked down at her, trying to understand what had just happened. She couldn't be...no, of course not...this was her game, she would have regenerated...right?

Their was another flicker of code, and suddenly Vanellope was upright again. Her eyes opened, and she turned to look around. Ralph sighed, relief flooding him. She was okay. Everything was going to be okay.

The other racers and citizens were coming back now, having seen that Sugar Rush was fixed. A few of them were rubbing their heads as well, and Vanellope turned to greet them as they arrived. "Welcome!" She said merrily. She waved her arms out grandly, standing firmly and confidently. "Welcome to Sugar Rush, my loyal subjects!"

Ralph frowned. Loyal subjects?

The residents of the game all bowed before her. And Vanellope nodded in approval, gesturing them to stand up again. "Well, first things first, I am Vanellope, ruler of this game, and your princess." she said. She sounded different. Much more serious and heavy-minded. "I expect that we will all get along swimmingly. Now, where is Sour Bill? I need my assistant." She clapped her hands together, and Sour Bill immediately rushed over, bowing down to her. Ralph was partly amused to see that he still had the lollipop stuck to his head, from the tree Ralph had stuck him to earlier. That amusement quickly faded however, as he still had no idea what was going on. Someone was letting this princess-thing go to their head.

"There you are Sour Bill." Vanellope was saying. "And what on earth are you doing with that lollipop stuck to your head? You look quite ridiculous!"

"I'm sorry your majesty." Sour Bill said, looking as embarrassed as someone constantly frowning could.

"Ah well, no matter." Vanellope said, waving her hand. "Now, before we have our first race, I must aquire my kart." She looked around, searching for her kart.

"Ah,Vanellope?" Ralph said, stepping forward. He gestured behind her. "Your kart is right over there!"

Vanellope turned towards him. A look of bewilderment filled her face as she eyed him. "I'm sorry sir, but do I know you?"

Ralph rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Vanellope. Can you cut it out with the princess stuff now?"

Vanellope looked up at him warily. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about." She said. "I am the princess of this game, and intend on staying so. Now, have you seen my kart?" She peeked around him.  
"Vanellope!" Ralph exclaimed. "What are you talking about? Your kart is right here!" He pushed her over to her kart, still covered in hundred of sprinkles, and many variations of frosting.

Vanellope frowned as she examined it. "That _mess _is not my kart, I can assure you." She huffed.

Ralph's mouth fell open, and a dry laugh escaped his mouth. "What are you talking about? Of course it is! See, we signed it and everything! Stop acting so weird!"

But Vanellope wasn't listening. Her previously warm and soothing hazel eyes were now hard and cold, and she glared up at him with a silent anger Ralph had only seen once before, in one of her darkest moments. "Sir, I don't know you, that is not my kart, and I would appreciate it if you left immediately. I'm very busy, and I don't have time for your silly games!"

"Aw, c'mon Vanellope." Ralph said, reaching out for her. "Don't be like this. Okay? Ha ha! There, you happy? Joke's over!"

"I'm not joking!" Vanellope said coldly, taking a step back. "I _don't know who you are. _We've never met, and I don't want to know you. I am a princess and I have more important things to be doing than wasting my time with an insolent, annoying individual like _you!" _

Ralph's eyes widened as an icy chill swept through his code. He could feel his heart almost literally falling apart. No...it couldn't be...she had to...she was just joking, she had to be...

Vanellope had now turned away from him, and was still looking for her 'kart.' "Wait, Vanellope!" Ralph cried out, grabbing her.

Vanellope let out a cry of astonishment. "Put me down!" She protested, squirming in his grip. "Let go of me this instant!"

"I know you haven't forgotten!You have to remember me!" Ralph said, trying to keep a hold of her. "That's your kart, remember? Remember when we made it, and you said that you loved it, even if it was a mess! Even if it wasn't perfect, like everyone else's! And you didn't care! You just wanted to race, like everyone else!"

"Stop!" Vanellope cried, still struggling against him. "I don't know you. You're crazy!"

"Yes you do!" Ralph said, his eyes starting to water. "Remember how we met? You stole my medal, and I fell into that stupid taffy swamp? You couldn't enter the race, so I helped you! We built that kart, together, and I taught you how to drive! In Diet Cola Mountain! C'mon Vanellope! I know you're still in there! You just have to remember!"

"No I don't!" Vanellope shrieked.

"Remember Vanellope, please, just remember me!" Ralph said, near tears now. "Remember when I almost died, so you could live. I was willing to give myself up, all for you! That you know I'd do anything for you! But you saved me! We saved this game! Together!"

"Winchell! Duncan!" Vanellope screeched. "Remove him from this game at once!"

Ralph's face crumbled. Vanellope broke away from him and landed on the ground. She brushed herself off and glared at him as the two doughnut cops walked over, each grabbing one of his arms. Vanellope pointed her scepter at him menacingly. "You are never allowed in Sugar Rush, ever again!" She scowled. "That goes for your friends too!" She pointed the lollipop at Calhoun and Felix, who were watching it all in shock. Felix had tears in his eyes, and the Sergeant look the most emotional Ralph had ever seen her. "If I ever see you back here, ever again, I will lock you in my fungeon!" Vanellope shouted. "Do you understand? I don't know you, and I don't want to! Now leave!"

Ralph opened his mouth, but his voice just cracked. Vanellope was looking at him so icily, there wasn't even a hint of recognition in her eyes. Winchell and Duncan began to tug at him, dragging him away. "Wait!" Ralph cried. He dug inside his shirt and pulled out the medal, the heart-shaped medal Vanellope had made for him. It was still perfectly intact, even after Ralph gripped it so hard on his fall down to Diet Cola Mountain. He threw it, and it landed on the ground in front of Vanellope. The words, _You're My Hero, _shone out in the sun that constantly hung over Sugar Rush.

"You have to remember this." He insisted, watching through hurt eyes as Vanellope picked the medal up. "You made it, for me. Just in case we didn't win. Remember? To stinkbrain, from Vanellope-from _you!_ "

Vanellope looked at the cookie medal, turning it over in her hands. For a moment, Ralph thought he saw something flicker in her eyes, some remembrance, but it quickly vanished as she lifted her head, looking him dead on. She threw the cookie medal aside, and it landed on the glittering racetrack with a resounding thud. "I don't know who you think you're looking for, but I can tell you for a fact that it's not me. Now please, leave!"

Ralph could feel his heart breaking with each tug he got pulled further away. He watched in utter pain as Vanellope turned her back to him, now addressing her subjects as he, Felix, and Calhoun were escorted from the game.

Vanellope, his best friend, the one person who'd seen through him, the one person who didn't just see him as the bad guy who wrecks things, was gone, forever.

The game had reset, and everything had changed.


End file.
